Hair roller means

ABSTRACT

An improvement in heatable and moistenable hair rollers having end edges and a smooth outer surface. The roller provided has an outer surface provided with means, such as a plurality of protrusions, for increasing the outer surface area, and thus the moisture retaining capacity of the roller. In addition, moisture guiding means are provided, such as a groove located adjacent each of the end edges, for preventing excess moisture on the rollers from overflowing the end edges and scalding the user&#39;&#39;s fingers. The invention may also include the provision of tapered end edges, to form rims for reducing the rate of dissipation of heat from the end edges of the roller.

United States Patent Chen [ 1 Oct. 2, 1973 [52] US. Cl

[ HAIR ROLLER MEANS [75] Inventor: Nai-Keung Chen, Fairfield, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation, New

York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: Sept. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 182,026

132/33 R [51] Int. Cl A45d 2/12 [58] Field of Search 132/33 R, 39, 40,

Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerGregory E. McNeil]Attorney-Charles R. Miranda et a].

[57] ABSTRACT An improvement in heatable and moistenable hair rollershaving end edges and a smooth outer surface. The roller provided has anouter surface provided with means, such as a plurality of protrusions,for increasing the outer surface area, and thus the moisture retainingcapacity of the roller. in addition, moisture guiding means areprovided, such as a groove located adjacent each of the end edges, forpreventing excess moisture on the rollers from overflowing the end edgesand scalding the users fingers. The invention may also include theprovision of tapered end edges, to form rims for reducing the rate ofdissipation of heat from the end edges of the roller.

5 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures HAIR ROLLER MEANS BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION Consumers have recently been provided with portableelectrical appliances of the type which are used for heating andmoistening hair rollers. Such appliances generally include a vaporgenerator adapted to be energized by a source of supply of electricity,and a compartment within which the hair rollers may be removably stored.To operate the appliance the hair rollers are stored in the compartment,a few ounces of liquid, usually water, are poured into the generator,and the generator is energized to vaporize the liquid; whereupon thevapor flows into the compartment to heat and moisten the hair rollers.

This invention is concerned with hair rollers which are adapted to bemoistened; and more particularly with an improvement in hair rollermeans having a smooth outer surface, for adapting the hair roller meansfor both heating and moistening in an appliance of the aforesaid type.

Numerous prior art patentees have provided hair rollers havingangularly-shaped protrusions which extend outwardly of the otherwisesmooth cylindrically shaped bodies of the rollers, to provide therollers with hair gripping features. For example, U. S. Pat. No.2,750,948, to Lutz, discuses the construction of a hair roller having aknurled outer surface which increases the frictional contact of theroller with a lock of hair; U. S. Pat. No. 2,960,989, to Magee, discusesthe provision of randomly spaced irregularly-shaped'hard particlesbonded to the outer surface of a roller to hold moistened hair; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,449, to Reiner, discuses the provisions of a hairroller with a roughened and outer surface to'agument the mechanicalgripping characteristics of the roller and increase the frictional forcedeveloped between hair and the outer surface of a roller.

Hair stretches as it is moistened and shrinks as it is dried.Accordingly, when a lock of hair is moistened and wound on a heatedroller having a hair gripping surface, it is wound thereon in itsstretched state. As the hair dries and shrinks, the angular edges of thesurface of the roller tend to dig into the individual strands of hairwith the result that they may be abraded, broken, cut, or otherwisedamaged. On the other hand, if a roller is both heated and moistened,and a lock of hair is then wound on the roller, the'hair stretches uponbeing moistened and may be displaced upon the surface of the roller;with the result that when the individual strands of hair shrink whiledrying, the roughened surface of the roller may still damage the hair.

In addition it has been found that when state-of-theart hair rollers aremoistened as well as being heated, users must be very careful about howthey handle the rollers when removing them from the heating andmoistening appliance and carrying them to their hair, to avoid havingtheir fingers scalded by hot condensate flowing from the outer surfaceof the rollers.

Users normally and naturally grasp the tubularly shaped rollers bygripping a small portion, or segment, of each of the opposite ends ofthe rollers between their fingers. As a roller is lifted and carried tothe users hair, it is tilted, with the result that excess moisture onthe outer surface of the roller flows toward the lowered end of theroller. Most of the moisture drips from the underside of the roller, butsome of the moisture inevitably flows onto the finger or fingers whichgrip the lowered end of the roller, with the result that the finger(s)may be scalded.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvementin hair roller means having a smooth outer surface for adapting the hairroller for use with a heating and moistening appliance. Another objectis to provide hair roller means including means for increasing the outersurface area and thus the moistenable area of the roller. Still anotherobject is to provide means for preventing the excess moisture retainedon a heated and moistened roller from flowing onto the users fingers.Yet another object is to provide a hair roller having a plurality offlexible resilient protrusions extending from the otherwise smooth outersurface thereof for gripping the hair without damage thereto. And,another object is to provide a hair roller including means for retainingmoisture thereon and for gripping the hair without damage thereto, andmeans for guiding the hot moisture away from the users fingers while theroller is being removed from a heating and moistening appliance andcarried to the users hair.

The invention is an improvement in heatable and moistenable hair rollermeans having a smooth outer surface and opposed end edges, theimprovement comprising: means on the outer surface of the hair rollermeans for increasing the outer surface area thereof to retain moremoisture thereon, and moisture guiding means in communication with theouter surface for preventing excess moisture thereon from overflowingatleast one of the end edges. The surface area increasing means of theinvention may include a plurality of flexible resilient protrusions,whereas the guiding means may include spaced grooves, each of which islocated parallel and adjacent to one of the end edges.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hairroller;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the hair roller of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the hair roller of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial vertical section of the hair roller ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a segmentally constructed hair roller;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the hair roller of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an adjustably constructed hair roller;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged top plan view of the hair roller of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a developed side elevation of the hair roller of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial vertical section of the hair roller ofFIG. 7; and

FIG. 11 is a view of a tilted hair roller.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawings,wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding partsthroughout the several views, typical hair roller means 10a, 10b or ofthe type here being considered, may be of solid tubular construction asshown in FIGS. l-4 (10a), of segmental tubular construction as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 (10b), or of adjustable tubular construction as shown inFIGS. 7-10 (10c).

The hair rollers of the various figures differ from one another in thatroller 10a of FIGS. 1-4 is constructed from a single cylindricallyshaped piece of material, roller 10b of FIGS. 5 and 6 is constructedfrom a plurality of arcuately shaped segments 11, and roller 10c ofFIGS. 7-10 is constructed from a single rectangularly shaped piece ofmaterial. Each of the hair rollers 10a-c are hair roller means la-chaving opposed end edges 12, an inner surface 14 and an outer surface16.

As shown in FIGS. and 6 the roller segments 11, are each provided with alongitudinally extending tongue 18 and groove 19, for longitudinallyslidably engaging the segments in interlocking relationship with oneanother to form the roller means b of FIGS. 5.

As shown in FIGS. 7-10, the rectangularly shaped piece of material forconstructing roller 10c is provided with a plurality of latches 20, atone of its sides, for engagement with a like number of sockets 22, inone of a plurality of rows of sockets 22, at the other of its sides, forfastening the sides together to form the roller means 10 of FIGS. 7-l0c.

To increase the otherwise smooth outer surface area of any of the rollermeans 10a-c, the roller means are provided with a plurality of closelyspaced protrusions 24 extend radially outwardly of the outer surfaces ofthe respective rollers 10a-c. Each of the protrusions 24 has acircumferentially extending outer surface 28 and may also have a chamfersurface 29.

As shown in FIG. 4, assuming circularly shaped protrusions 24, measuringabout sixteen thousandths of an inch in height, h, and fifty thousandthsof an inch in diameter, d, and, assuming a spacing, s, between adjacentprotrusions 24 of fifty thousandths of an inch; 100 protrusions persquare inch of outer surface area will be provided. Since each of theprotrusion increases the outer surface area of the roller means l0a-c byan amount equal to the area of the circumferentially extending surface28 thereof, the outer surface area of the roller means 10a-c isincreased approximately 25 percent.

In a preferred embodiment the protrusions 24 are circularly shaped,measure twelve thousandths of an inch in height and fifty thousandths ofan inch in diameter, and are spaced apart from one another fifteenthousandths of an inch, to provide approximately two hundred andthirty-seven protrusions per square inch of outer surface area; therebyincreasing the moistenable outer surface area of the roller meansapproximately 45 percent. Heights, h, of from eight to twentythousandths of an inch, in combination with various diameters, d, in therange of from thirty to eighty thousandths of an inch and variousspacings, s, of from ten to seventy thousandths of an inch, where h, dand s were chosen to provide outer surface area increases of at leastapproximately 25 percent, were found to be acceptable.

To avoid having the protrusions damage the hair the rollers arepreferably constructed from a flexible resilient plastic material, suchas a low density polyethylene plastic material, to impart to theaforesaid protrusions 24 the desired degree of flexibility andresiliency. The protrusions 24 have been found to deform sufficiently inresponse to hair pressure thereon to avoid damaging the hair, and regaintheir shape when the rollers are removed from the hair, when the plastichas a flexure modulus of from 15,000 to 50,000. Rather than increasingthe mechanical gripping characteristics of the rollers by providingsharp edges to grip the hair, the protrusions augment the frictionalforce developed between the outer surface area of the roller and thehair wound thereon, by increasing the surface area of the roller whichis brought into contact with the hair.

In practice, it has been found that when rollers are provided with theprotrusions 24 hereinbefore described, the amount of moisture retainedon the outer surface of the roller may be so great that the usersfingers are scalded by excess hot condensate flowing from the outersurface of the roller, when the roller is removed from a heating andmoistening appliance and carried to the users hair.

When removed from the appliance a portion of each of end edges 12 of theroller means 10a-c is grasped between the users fingers 30, as shown inFIG. 11, and the roller means 10a-c is tilted. To direct the hotcondensate away from the users fingers 30, grooves 32 are formed in theouter surfaces of the roller means l0a-c. With this arrangement, whenhot condensate 34 flows toward the users fingers, it flows into thegroove 32 nearest the lowered end of the roller means, and is channeledby that groove 32 toward the underside of the roller means. As a result,the moisture which would otherwise flow onto the users fingers 30 isguided away therefrom and cause to drip from the underside of the rollermeans.

In addition, to reduce the quantity of heat dissipated from the endedges of the roller means 10a-c, as it is carried to the users hair, andthus protect the users fingers 30 from being burned, the end edges 12may be tapered to terminate each of the opposed end edges 12 with a rim36. The consequent reduction in the crosssectional areas of therespective end edges that are grasped by the user, reduces the rate ofheat dissipation therefrom to the fingers of the user.

Inasmuch as certain changes may be made in the above described inventionwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative ratherthan limiting sense. And, it is intended that the following claimsshould be interpreted to cover all the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described, and to cover all statements of the scopeof the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. An improvement in heatable and moistenable hair roller means having asmooth outer surface and opposed end edges, the improvement comprising:

a. means on the outer surface of the hair roller means for increasingthe outer surface area thereof to retain more moisture thereon, thesurface area increasing means including a plurality of uniformlydimensioned flexible resilient protrusions,

b. moisture guiding means in communication with the outer surface forpreventing excess moisture thereon from overflowing the end edges, theguiding means including spaced circumferential grooves, one of saidgrooves located adjacent and parallel to each of said end edges, and

c. each of said end edges being reduced in area to form a rim.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the opposed end edgesare respectively tapered relative to the surface area to provide saidrims.

roller means having a smooth outer surface and opposed end edges, theimprovement comprising: means on the outer surface of the hair rollermeans for increasing the outer'surface area thereof to retain moremoisture thereon, the surface area increasing means including aplurality of flexible resilient circularly shaped protrusions measuringat least eight thousandths of an inch in height and not more than eightythousandths of an inch in diameter, and a sufficient number of saidprotrusions are provided per square inch of the smooth outer surfacearea to increase said area at least approximately 25 percent.

5. The improvement according to claim 4 wherein each of said protrusionsmeasure from eight thousandths of an inch in height to twentythousandths of an inch in height and from thirty thousandths of an inchin diameter to eighty thousandths of an inch in diameter.

1. An improvement in heatable and moistenable hair roller means having asmooth outer surface and opposed end edges, the improvement comprising:a. means on the outer surface of the hair roller means for increasingthe outer surface area thereof to retain more moisture thereon, thesurface area increasing means including a plurality of uniformlydimensioned flexible resilient protrusions, b. moisture guiding means incommunication with the outer surface for preventing excess moisturethereon from overflowing the end edges, the guiding means includingspaced circumferential grooves, one of said grooves located adjacent andparallel to each of said end edges, and c. each of said end edges beingreduced in area to form a rim.
 2. The improvement according to claim 1,wherein the opposed end edges are respectively tapered relative to thesurface area to provide said rims.
 3. The improvement according to claim1 wherein each of said protrusions are circularly shaped protrusions,the height of each of said protrusions is not more than twentythousandths of an inch and not less than eight thousandths of an inch,the diameter of each of said protrusions is not more than eightythousandths of an inch, and a sufficient number of said protrusions areprovided per square inch of the smooth outer surface area to increasesaid area at least approximately 25 percent.
 4. An improvement inheatable and moistenable hair roller means having a smooth outer surfaceand opposed end edges, the improvement comprising: means on the outersurface of the hair roller means for increasing the outer surface areathereof to retain more moisture thereon, the surface area increasingmeans including a plurality of flexible resilient circularly shapedprotrusions measuring at least eight thousandths of an inch in heightand not more than eighty thousandths of an inch in diameter, and asufficient number of said protrusions are provided per square incH ofthe smooth outer surface area to increase said area at leastapproximately 25 percent.
 5. The improvement according to claim 4wherein each of said protrusions measure from eight thousandths of aninch in height to twenty thousandths of an inch in height and fromthirty thousandths of an inch in diameter to eighty thousandths of aninch in diameter.